CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday registered a case against former DMK water resources minister Duraimurugan, two retired engineers-in-chief of the Water Resources Department (WRD), A Muthaiya and Ramamoorthi, 14 serving public servants and 10 private individuals and firms over alleged irregularities in river sand mining across the state between 2021 and 2024. The “irregularities” had caused an estimated loss of over Rs 1,427 crore to the state exchequer.
As part of the investigation, DVAC officials conducted searches at 34 locations across Chennai, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy, Karur, Vellore, Madurai, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal and Puducherry on Friday. The officials seized 825 documents, 11 electronic devices and three bank locker keys linked to the case. Further investigation is under way.
The case was registered based on complaints received from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chennai, Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, and one S Tamilselvan.
The complaints alleged that contracts for 28 river sand quarries were awarded through limited tenders instead of open tenders. They further alleged that sand was extracted beyond approved mining plans and that fake vouchers were fabricated in the name of permit slips and used as genuine documents to facilitate illegal transportation. The alleged irregularities caused a loss of Rs 1,427.34 crore to the government in four of the 28 quarries, according to the complaints.
In Pudukkottai, the DVAC conducted searches at six locations, covering the residence of Ramachandran, known as Sand Ramachandran, at Muthupattinam; Karikalan’s residence at Kulandranpattu in Karambakudi; and the office of his associate Karnan in Pudukkottai. The premises of Mohanraman and TVK functionary Aembal MRM Kumararaja, including his residence and office, were also searched.
In Dindigul, the searches were carried out at the residence of prominent sand contractor K Rathinam on GTN Road and his office. Rathinam, a native of Pudukkottai district, is involved in several businesses, including sand quarrying, real estate, educational institutions and brick kilns. A joint team of DVAC personnel from Dindigul and Theni districts began the searches around 7 am and continued till 4 pm.
Rathinam’s younger son, Venkatesh, is a councillor representing Ward 17 of the Dindigul corporation. He was elected as an Independent, later joined the DMK and subsequently switched to the TVK. The ED had also searched Rathinam’s residence in November 2023.
In Tiruchy, the houses of WRD executive engineer Kumaravel and assistant engineer Sadiq Basha at the government officials’ quarters in Khajamalai were searched. The searches lasted more than three hours, during which several documents were seized. The officials also searched the house of retired assistant executive engineer Sivakumar in Manapparai. No document was seized from his residence.